GuildWorks is proud to announce, that "Dancing Sky", a permanent installation in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, has started to gain national attention. Much appreciation, to the folks at Specialty Fabrics Review, an outstanding monthly print and online resource for essential information on the specialty fabrics industry, published by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI); which GuildWorks is a proud member.

Downtown Phoenix’s Arizona Center is undergoing a major transformation. One of the objectives was to open up the inward-looking space to connect it to the surrounding neighborhood, creating a more interactive and spontaneous experience for the public. The one-million-square-foot multi-use project includes shopping, restaurants, entertainment, office space and residential units. Creating space within the center where people can wander and relax was an important consideration.

The developers wanted a large-scale art piece that would fill the void in the long courtyard spaces—something dynamic and one-of-a-kind that makes a lasting impression. So they turned to Guildworks, a Portland, Oregon, firm specializing in tension structures and fabric.

The design was limited by installation requirements, and had to be anchored to an existing building without requiring major structural work. Because a fabric structure of this size could generate considerable wind loads, Guildworks designed "Dancing Sky", a tensioned net structure that allows the wind to blow through. Guildworks built a scale model of "Dancing Sky" to understand how the net system would work, as well as multiple full-scale mockups to make needed adjustments and fabricate the art piece accurately.

The installation consists of three interconnected tension net structures that measure more than 300 feet long, with some individual pieces measuring 115 feet. The two primary structures are supported by 70-foot tilted steel masts, and a smaller piece is suspended between them. Smaller fabric pieces are suspended between the nets as accents. For more information, visit www.guildworks.com.​To learn and see even more about this project, visit the link below for our video and additional photos,as well as a case study from March 2018. "DANCING SKY" PERMANENT ART INSTALLATION DOWNTOWN PHOENIX >>>